How to cure a quartered animal

[Nomis]

This isn't exactly an archery related question, but if I quarter an animal should I let it cure in cape bags or just hang as is?

[Charlie Lamb]

 If the weather is right and there are no flies I always just let them hang. I'd smell the meat daily. At first it has a raw smell but when it has hung long enough  that raw smell will change to a more mellow aged smell. Time to cut and package.

[Nomis]

Thank you

[ksbowman]

I misunderstood, when you said cure I thought meant to salt cure the meat. You meant age. I too do it as Charlie. Usually I quarter my animals and remove the back straps and fillets. Each quarter goes in a game bag and the back straps and fillets go in a separate bag. The they go in my beer refrigerator for 5-7 days with room between the bags for air to circulate. Then as Charlie says when the smell changes to a mellow aged smell I remove it and cut it up. Been doing it this way since the early 70's, only had 1 cut up by someone else and was not happy with how they did it or the question in my mind of "is this really my deer"?

[Roy from Pa]

KS, I do mine just like you do.

Checking it often, and while I'm there...

Well, a beer just jumps into my hand..

[Charlie Lamb]

Dang beer!

[ksbowman]

Yeah, I have that same problem too, so I check on the deer meat often. You know it might go bad if you wait too long between checks!

[Roy from Pa]

Exactly.....